India-Australia third ODI called off due to wet outfield

A damp outfield caused by overnight rains forced the third and final ODI between India and Australia to be called off on Sunday. India clinched the three-match series 1-0.

On-field umpires Billy Bowden and Amish Saheba, accompanied by ICC match referee Chris Broad, had an inspection of the entire Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium ground, including the bowlers' run-up and the wet areas on the outfield at 12:15 pm and by 1 pm they decided that the ground condition was not fit for the match.

With more than four hours of play already lost, the match was expected to be a truncated one despite sunny conditions this morning. Most parts of the ground was covered by tarpaulins overnight, but still there were some seepages. A super-sopper was employed to suck up the water from the covers. The wicket itself looked dry and fit for play.

India were 1-0 up going into the deciding clash after winning the second match at Visakhapatnam on October 20 by five wickets. The series opener in Kochi was washed out too.

To make matters more difficult for the organisers, Goa Cricket Association, the sightscreen at the north end of the ground collapsed half an hour before the second umpires' inspection. The screen, mounted on wheels, simply tilted over and fell down leading to more headaches for the ground authorities who had worked hard to try and make the conditions playable after the unseasonal rains lashed this Goan town in the last few days.